Steam and dry flatiron



NGV. 24, 1953 1 H GONE STEAM AND DRY FLATIRON Filed NOV. 19, 1949 mm. E

:inventor Joseph H Cone Patented Nov. 24, 1953 STEAM AND DRY FLATIRON Joseph H. Cone, Bridgeport, Conn., assgnor to Casco Products Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn.,

a corporation of Connecticut l Application November 19, 1949, Serial No. 128,270

21 Claims.

This invention relates to steam fiatirons of the type having a tank or boiler, and in its more speciiic aspect more particularly to such irons having a hinged handle structure extending over the tank, provided with stopper means to close a funnel-like lling opening in the tank.

In this type of iron the filler opening or orice is located at the bottom of a funnel which has a relatively wide mouth secured to the top wall of the tank, the funnel extending down into the tank. By such construction the lling of the tank is obviously made very easy, and the likelihood of spillage during the iilling operation is minimized.

However, it sometimes becomes necessary for the housewife to drain the water completely out of the tank, when it is desired to use the iron for dry ironing, and when the ller funnel is incorporated as part of the tank or boiler as above set forth, complete emptying of the tank through the filler opening is not possible due to the inward extension or disposition of the funnel- Nor is the total emptying of the tank contents through the steam discharge openings in the sole plate of the iron practical, because this procedure is inconvenient and very slow, and does not completely drain the tank. Thus it sometimes happens that a housewife, if first using the iron for steam ironing must, before the iron is ready for dry ironing, wait awhile after running the water out of the boiler through the ller opening, since the inability to completely empty the boiler necessitates the remaining water being vaporized and discharged as steam.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved steam iron of the tank or boiler type, wherein the tank or boiler may at any time, Whether the iron is hot or cold, be very easily and quickly completely emptied of its contents, thus overcoming the disadvantages and drawbacks above mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steam or dry iron of the type wherein the handle is swung away from the tank to iill or empty the latter which is so organized and improved that a user may by merely retaining hold of the handle after it is swung away, have complete control of the iron body so as to readily and conveniently invert or otherwise position the body, as required to ll or empty the tank or boiler thereof.

`Still another object of the invention is to provide a steam iron improved as above, which has relatively few parts of simple structure, and which is economical to fabricate and reliable in use.

Inaccomplishing the above objects I provide, in

accordance with the invention, a novel and improved water outlet and stopper means therefor at the top portion of the tank, which is separate from the usual ller means and stopper of the tank and is especially arranged and adapted to provide complete emptying of the tank contents when the iron is inverted. This novel outlet and stopper means, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, comprises a hollow raised portion or boss on the tank top, and a closure comprising a resilient sealing ring carried on the underside of the hinged handle structure whereby the outlet is automatically closed when the handle is in operative or ironing position, and automatically exposed and open when the handle is swung back to filling or emptying position.

Preferably where, as in the specific iron structure illustrated and described herein, the tank is a boiler or steam generator as distinguished from the water storage means found in dash-type steam irons, the raised hollow portion or boss on the top of the iron may also constitute the steam dome, and may enclose the top of the steam discharge pipe which leads to the steam chamber of the sole plate. In such case the closure for the boss may be conveniently carried `in the hollow front post of the handle structure, into which post the steam dome usually extends.

I advantageously arrange the outlet boss or steam dome to be devoid of portions projecting to any appreciable extent into the boiler, and thus when the iron is turned upside down, the boiler may be substantially completely emptied.

In addition to constituting a desirable emptying means for the boiler, the outlet boss or steam dome also functions as an advantageous air vent to prevent bubbling of water in the filler funnel during the filling operation, thus enabling a user to more easily and quickly refill the boiler. The vent is always open during the filling operation, due to the stopper for the vent being carried by the hinged handle structure. Heretofore, in steam irons of the funnel-filler type, vent holes were provided in the side walls of the funnel, necessitating a slower filling procedure and a deepn er funnel, and this latter consideration further prevented a complete emptying of the boiler. By this invention, however, a relatively shallow funnel may now be used, devoid of vent holes in its side walls.

In connection with the present novel emptying' means and stopper, which may be disposed respectively on the boiler and handle structure of the latiron, I provide a releasable locking means i for the handle structure whereby the latter can be locked in its open or filling position so as to rigidly support the tank during the emptying op eration. Preferably the locking means is auto-f matic so that its locks each time the handle structure is moved to the filling position without at-y tention from the user, and must be manually released before the handle structure can be returned to operative position. Y

In the specic embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the locking4 means is associated with the pivot or hinge/means for the handle structure, and comprises a pintle having laterally projecting lugsadapted to extend into adjacent recesses, one in the casing of the iron and the other in the handle structure, so as to key together the relatively movable parts when the handle is in raised position. Y

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through an improved steam iron embodying the invention, a portion of the casing being shown in side elevation and the handle structure being in its lowered or operative position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the steam iron showing the handle structure in raised or filling position, portions of thek iron body and handle structure being shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of one corner of the flatiron, portions being broken away and shown in section to reveal the details of the handle locking mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the casing of the iron taken on line 4 4 of Fig..3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking pintle or hinge pin of the handle structure.

The steam iron illustrated in the above-listed figures is in many respects similar to the steam iron illustrated and described. in detail in the copending application of Joseph O. Thibault, Serial No. 103,437, filed July 7, 1949, entitled Steam Electric Iron, and for details not specifically described herein reference may be had to the said copending application.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 the present improved steam iron comprises a sole plate I having a boiler or tank I I secured to its top, and having a casing IZ at its rear to which latter a handle structure I3 is hingedly secured. The handle structure I3 may occupy either a lowered, operative position as shown in Fig. 1, being held therein by a latch mechanism I, or a raised, filling .position as shown in Fig. 2. As illustrated, the latch mechanism Ill comprises a knob Illa afixed to a shaft Mb having at its lower end a crosshead IAC adapted to be received in a slot Md of a latch plate Ille secured to the top of the tank II. When the knob Ita is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the crosshead Iflc will extend across the slot I4d, locking the handle structure I3 to the tank II. When the knob Il-la is rotated 90 degrees from the position of Fig. l, as indicated in Fig. 2, the crosshead Ic will be aligned with the slot Illd, enabling the crosshead to pass out through the slot to release the handle structure I3 for upward swinging movement. On its underside the handle structure I3 carries a valve or stopper I5, adapted to close a filler opening or orifice I6 in a funnel I'I having a wide mouth or rim I8 which is secured to the top wall I9 of the boiler I I.

The stopper I comprises a disk I5a carrying a resilient rubber-like annulus I5b adapted to seat itself in the funnel II. The disk I5a is mounted As shown in Fig. 2, when the handle structure I3 is in the raised or lling position, the stopper I5 is located remote from the funnel I'I and the latter is freely eXp-osed to enable the boiler II to be easily and quickly filled.

In accordance with this invention I provide a novel emptying means on the top portion of the boiler II, which is separate from the filler funnel I'I and is so arranged that when the flat iron is inverted with the handle structure in the filling or emptying position of Fig. 2, virtually all of the contents of the boiler II may be emptied easily `and quickly, thus adapting the iron immediately for use in dry ironing. This novel emptying means is vclosed `or stoppered automatically when the handle structure I3 is in the lowered, operative position of Fig. 1, and therefore quick and easy filling or emptying of the boiler may be accomplished as desired, whenever the handle structure is in its raised position. Preferably the emptying mea-ns, according to this invention, also constitutes the steam dome of the boiler II, so that an economy in the structure and use of parts is realized.

Accordingly, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I provide on the forward, upper wall portion 20 of the boiler II a hollow upstanding boss ZI having a relatively large opening or orice 22 in its top, said boss enclosing the upper end portion 23 of a steam pipe 25 which `communicates with a steam chamber 25 in the sole plate IE). As seen in Fig. 1, the boss y2 -I may be a drawn metal shell, threaded onto a nipple 25 which is crimped over on the underside of the boiler wall 20.

The handle structure lI 3 has a hollow front post 27 adapted to receive the boss or stream dome 2 I, and in said post there is provided, for engagement with the boss 2 I, a valve `or stopper 28, comprising a resilient sealing annulus 29 engageable with the top exterior surface ofthe boss 2 I. The annulus 29 is carried in a shell 30 which is mounted on a stud 3| axially movable in a collar 32 carried by a bushing 33 fitted into the post 21. A helical compression spring 34 is provided on the stud 3I and normally holds the stopper 2B in engagement with the steam dome 2'I when the handle I3 is in its lowered position. For this position, therefore, the opening 22 in the steam dome is effectively closed and sealed, causing steam which is generated in the boiler I I to pass without escape from the steam dome into the discharge pipe ZI and the steam chamber 25 in the well known manner.

Whenever it is desired to completely empty the contents of the boiler II, either while the iron is hot or cold, this may be easily and quickly done by simply swinging the handle structure I3 to the raised position shown in Fig. 2 and then inverting the fiatiron, whereupon water will drain out of the boiler through the steam dome 2 I, completely emptying the boiler.

According to the present invention means are provided for automatically locking the handle structure I3 in the raised emptying position shown in Fig. 2 whenever it is moved to said position, thereby yproviding for a rigid support of the tank by the handle structure and making it easier and more convenient .to hold the tank in proper position for emptying.

Referring to Figs. 3, -4 and 5 this locking means comprises a pintle or pivot pin 35 carried in recesses 36 and 3l of the casing i2 and handle structure i3 respectively. The pin 35-has a cross hole t8 receiving an operating pin 39 which passes through a slot 4i) in the handle structure and at its outer end carries a knob il. Thus the pin d'5 is permanently keyed to the handle structure, although axially movable therein. A compression spring d'2 is disposed in the recess Si of the handle structure to normally urge the pintle 35 outwardly of said structure, the outward movement being limited by engagement between the operating pin 39 and the end of the slot di) through which the pin passes.

The pintle 35 has lugs or ears als adapted to be received in notches it in the recess t whereby the pintle can be splined or keyed to the casing l2 for a given position of the handle i3. The notches ist in the casing are located to be in registration with the lugs d3 when the handle structure I3 is in its fully raised or emptying position, and as soon as such registration occurs the spring :'42 will shift the pintle 35 axially and cause the lugs thereof to enter the notches, locking the handle structure i3 in this position. liianual release of the handle structure is eiected by applying pressure to the knob 4l to return the pintle axially to its inner or retracted position.

It should be noted that the emptying and stopper means as above set forth provides an effective air vent for the boiler Il when the latter is being filled. Air within the boiler will not be trapped and cause bubbling at the funnel l1 during the nlling operation as occurred heretofore; instead, the air in the boiler will pass out through the large opening 22 in the dome 2l, enabling the incoming water to quickly and smoothly .flow through the funnel into the boiler. Moreover, the funnel l1 may be relatively shallow and of simple structure and shape, since it does not require vent openings in its side walls.

While the present invention has been embodied in a steam iron of the type having a water boiler as distinguished from a plain waterstorage tank, and having a hinged handle structure occupying positions closely adjacent the boiler or swung away therefrom, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this specic type of iron, since it has utility and advantage in connection with other steam and dry irons, including hash-boiler irons and irons having ilxed or nonhinged handles. The scope of the invention is therefore more properly determined from a oonsideration of the claims, and variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

l. A steam iron comprising a body including a water tank open `at the top for iiiling and draining; closure means therefor; a handle hinged at one end of the body, occupying either an operative position over the open top of the tank or an emptying position away from the open top of the tank; releasable means for latching the handle rigid with the body in its operative position; and releasable means for latching the handle rigid with the body in its emptying position,

v2. A steam iron comprising a body including a water tank open at the top for filling and draining; closure means therefor; a handle hinged at one end of the body, occupying either an operative position over the open tcp of the tank o r an emptying position away from the open top of the tank; releasable means for latching the handle rigid with the body in its operative position; releasable means for latching the handle rigid with the body in its emptying position; and means maintaining the closure means in operative position when the handle is in operative position over the tank.

3. A steam iron comprising a body including a water tank open at the top for filling and draining; closure means therefor; a handle hinged at one end of the body, occupying either an operative position over the open top of the tank or an emptying position away from the open top of the tank; releasable means ior latching the handle rigid with the body in its operative position; releasable means for latching the handle rigid with the body in its emptying position; and means for mounting said closure means on the handle to move therewith, said handle maintaining the closure means in operative position when the handle is in operative position over the tank.

4. A steam iron comprising a water tank having emptying means providing an unobstructed passage from the lowermost point of the tank when the iron is inverted to emptying position, including a discharge opening enabling substantially all the water in the tank to run out; a hinged handle structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the tank or an iron-emptying position extending away from the tank; and a stopper carried by the handle structure, closing the said discharge open-` ing of the tank when the handle is in operative position.

5. A steam iron comprising a water tank provided with an outwardly dished top wall having an upper portion raised above the remainder or the wall and provided at its top with a water discharge opening whereby substantially all the water in the tank is enabled to readily run out when the tank is turned upside down; a hinged handle structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the tank or an emptying position extending away from the tank; and a stopper carried by the handle structure, closing the discharge opening oi the tank when the handle is in operative position.

6. A steam iron comprising a casing and a water tank in the casing, said tank having emptying means providing an unobstructed passage from the lowermost point of the tank when the iron is inverted to emptying position, including a discharge opening enabling substantially all the water in the tank to run out; a hinged handle structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the tank or an ironemptying position extending away from the tank; a stopper carried by the handle structure, closing the said discharge opening of the tank when the handle is in operative position; and means for releasably locking the handle structure to the casing in emptying position, to provide rigid support of the tank and casing by said structure during said emptying.

7. A steam iron comprising a boiler provided Y with an outwardly dished top wall having an upstanding steam dome surrounding the upper end of a steam discharge pipe, said dome having a Water-discharge opening in its top and being shaped together with the top Wall to enable substantially all the water in the boiler to run out when the boiler is turned upside down; a hinged handle structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the boiler or Aan, emptying position extending away from the boiler; anda stoppercarriedby the handle struc-Y ture, closing the discharge openingy ci the boiierf when the handle, is in operative p,osition 8. A steam iron comprising a water tank having a raised top portion shapedsubstantially like. an inverted cone, said portion at its apex having a water discharge opening whereby substantially all they water in the tank is enabled to run out when the tank is turned upside down;` a. hinged handleY structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the tank, or an. emptying position extending away from the tank and a. stopper carried by the handle structure., closing the discharge. opening of the. tank, when the handle, is in operative-position` 9. A steam iron comprising a water; tank hav-- ing. a top provided with a depending iller funnel,- said top comprising` a. water emptying means including a top opening separate from the hiler funnel, enabling substantially all the Water in the tank to runV out when the. tank is. turned upside down; a hinged handle structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the tank or a nlling-and-emptying position extending away from the tank; andi Stoppers carried by the handle structure, closing the filler funnel and top emptying opening of the tank when the handle is in the operative. position` 10. The invention as defined in claim 4 in which the handle structure includes a hollow front post, in which the tank emptying means comprises a. hollow dome carried by the tank, extending upward into the hollow of said post when the handle structure is in operative position, and inl which the stopper has a mounting member separate from andY tted into the said hollow post.

11. A steam iron comprising a casing and a water tank in the casing, said tank having emptying means providing an unobstructed passage from the lowermost point of the tank when the iron is inverted to emptying position, inclu-ding a discharge opening enabling substantially all the water in the tank to run out; a hinged handle structure adapted to occupy either an operative position extending over the tank or an iron-- emptying position extending away from the tank; a stopper carried by the handle structure, closing the said discharge opening of the tank when the handle is in operative position; and manually releasable means, automatically locking the handle structure in emptying position in response to movement of said structure thereto, thereby to provide rigid support of the tank by said structure duringsaid emptying.

l2. The inventionv as defined in claim 1 in which the body and handle structure have recesses ad-.iacent the hinge point, and in which said. locking means comprises any axially movable pintle-A for the handle structure, having lateral projections receivable in said recesses.

13. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the body and handle structure have juxtaposed recesses, and in which the said locking means comprises a slide bolt occupying both said recesses when the handle structure is locked.

li. The invention as dened in claimA 13 in which the slide bolt has a finger piece b-y means of which it may be. operated'.

15. Inca steam iron of the type havinga Water tankv provided with a iiller funnel extending into the tank, and having a hinged handle structure and a stopper carried thereby to close the filler funnel when the handle structureV is inoperative position over the tank, the improvement which comprises: the top of the. tank having a hollow wise@ Portion separate from said filler funnel, adapted, tobe cnvered by said handle structure when the latterl is in operative position, said raised portion having: a water outlet opening in its top; and; a stoppercarried by the handle structure, adapted, to close. the opening in said raised portion whenthe handle structure is in operative position, said portion being exposed and the outlet openingv thereofv uncovered When the handle structure: is swung backto iilling position whereby the contents of the tank. may be completely emptied through said outlet opening by turning the ironupsidedown.

16. A steam iron comprising a water tank having a l-lng opening;- meansv extending around the fillingl opening and into the water tank, providinga water passage` into the, tank, said means extending, below the top of the tank and preventing complete: emptying of the tank through said filling opening; a steam tube extending upwardly through said tank; a steam dome spaced from said lling opening and, extending above the top o the tank and having anV aperture at its uppermost portionwhich is located above the top of the steam tube, said steam dome and the aperture therein having unobstructed communication with every part of the tank when the steam ilongis inverted wherebyy the tank and the steam dome may be completely emptied of water throughl Isaid. aperture in the steam dome; a valve seat. around said aperture; and a valve releasably engaging-j said seat for closing the aperture in the steam dome.

1.17. A steam iron comprisingY a water tank having a llingV opening; means extending around the filling opening and into the water tank, provid-ing a water passage into the tank, saidV means extending below the top of the tank and preventing complete emptying of the tank through said filling openingy said tank having an emptyingV openingv spaced from the ller opening and located at its uppermost portion in unobstructed communication with every part of the tank when the. steam iron is invertedv whereby the tank maybe completely drained o water through said emptying opening; a valve seat around said emp-tying opening; and a valve mounted for controlled movement between an open position` clear of the valve seat and a closed position on the seat.

18.. A steam iron comprising a water tank having emptying means, including a discharge opening, providing an unobstructed passage from the. lowerrnost point of the tank when the iron is inverted to emptying position, enabling substantially all the water in the tank` to run out, said tank having a llin-g oriiice separate from said discharge opening; a manually operable member movably mounted with respect to the tank and movable between two positions; and a pair of separate closure means simultaneously actuated by said; member, for closing said opening and orifice respectively when the member is in' one, of said positions, said closure means being separated from and exposing the opening and orifice respectively when the member is in its other position.

19. The invention as defined in claim 18, in which there is yieldable means associated with the closure; means for the discharge opening, providing for unsealing of said opening in response to a. predetermined steam pressure in the tank, thereby to` provide safety valve action.

20. The. invention as` defined in claim 4, in

which. the handle structure includes a hollow.L

front post, in which the tank emptying means comprises a hollow dome carried by the tank, extending upward into the hollow of said post when the handle structure is in operative position, and in which the stopper has a mounting member separate from and tted into the said hollow post.

21. In a steam iron of the type having a Water tank provided with a ller funnel extending into the tank, and having a hinged handle structure and a stopper carried thereby to close the ller funnel when the handle structure is in operative position over the tank, the improvement which comprises: the top of the tank having a hollow raised portion separate from said ller funnel, adapted to be covered by said handle structure when the latter is in operative position, said raised portion having a water outlet opening in its top; and a stopper means carried by the handle structure, adapted to close the opening in said raised portion when the handle structure 10 is in operative position; means mounting said stopping means on the handle structure to enable the stopper means to yield in response to excess steam pressure in the tank to provide a safety valve action and said raised portion being exposed and the outlet opening thereof uncovered when the handle structure is swung back to filling position whereby the contents of the tank may be completely emptied through said outlet opening by turning the iron upside down.

JOSEPH H. CONE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,027,767 Deems Jan. 14, 1936 2,189,709 Deems Feb. 6', 1940 2,475,572 Schreyer July 5, 1949 2,533,995 Chapin Dec. 12, 1950 

